Outriders failed to break even in 2021

Outriders failed to break even in 2021
Josh Wise Updated on by

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Outriders, the loot-filled online multiplayer shooter from developer People Can Fly, failed to break even in 2021.

A new report, published by People Can Fly, states that the game has yet to make its publisher, Square Enix, any revenue.

We already knew that the game wasn’t doing very well, because of a note to investors last year, in which People Can Fly stated that it had yet to receive any profit, as Square Enix hadn’t yet recouped its costs. (It is worth pointing out that Outriders is one the the intellectual properties that will remain with Square Enix, after the partial Embracer group buyout.)

“The Group received no royalties from the publisher for the period to December 31st 2021,” the report states. “Net proceeds from the sale of Outriders were insufficient to recover the costs and expenses incurred by the publisher.”

Outriders was a breezy shooter, but it struggled through a difficult and bug-ridden launch. In my review of the game, I said:

“Maybe, after the talented developers at People Can Fly have furnished the game with a few patches, Outriders will shine.”

Microsoft debuted the game on Xbox Game Pass, boosting its exposure. But it wasn’t enough. And the initial buzz has grown quieter ever since.